Creating a Life you Love

Okay, that is kind of a backwards way of saying that living a life you love is so much more worthwhile. But first you have to create it. And that is not necessarily easy. It takes work and persistence. But often with a few small tweaks to our daily practices and mindset, we can begin to transform what happens to us and around us. Having clear intentions can often be enough to manifest change in our lives and bring us closer or right on the mark of all we desire in this world.

There has been a lot going on for me lately. I’m juggling many different responsibilities and undertakings and often feel really scattered – like I have my hand in too many different things both professionally and personally. I love my health coaching business and often feel like I need about 30 extra hours in the week to dedicate to making it a success and connecting with and supporting others – which is my why for that business. I still do sustainability consulting for the National Zoo because I love the people there and it is the last remnant of my green biz (my first endeavor into entrepreneurship in 2008). I continue to dabble in professional organizing/interior decorating because I get a total feel-good buzz from that and have a natural knack for creating a modern, inviting, clutter-free spaces. But my most important job of all is being a mom and wife. With my boys just 3 and 5 years old, I still make myself available to them as much as I can manage – which is pretty much all hours except for when they are at school from 9am-3pm, most weekdays. My husband is also a business owner in the restaurant world – his schedule is crazy demanding and ever-changing making me the CEO of oh-so-many things. Did I mention my sweet but incredibly energetic (even at 9 years old) dogs that are my first babies and often act like actual children and not just a couple animals living on our house? So, yeah, I have a lot going on but one of the first steps in creating a life I love was for me to know that I am a person who thrives best when I am busy and doing the things that pump my energy, fuel my soul, and lift my spirits in the madness of daily life.

I’m telling you all this because it helps to have context from the person offering you advice. Just like you, I have lots of days where things seem to be swirling around me and I am just focused on getting through the busy day. But no matter how busy I am (which I fully admit is a choice because I choose to take on so much) there are key things I do that have helped me to build a life of internal balance, clarity,gratitude, confidence, and one which thrives on wellness – and for me that can be defined more concretely as staying healthy and nurturing my body and mind so that I operate at close to optimal levels (no one is perfect ;-))

So take a moment and dig in. Can you align yourself better with these simple actions?

Set an intention of how you want your life to be(more energy, less work, better relationship(s), less illness, more money, more exercise, less stress, a new city or town, a different house, an ocean or mountain view, more fresh air – you get the picture)

Visualize that life. What does it feel like? (write down how you would feel and do this daily)

Practice gratitude. We can’t get more of what we want if we aren’t already grateful for all we have. Make a list of three things you are thankful to have in your life. And do this regularly (daily if you can).

Honor yourself. Stop self-criticism. Know you are enough. We can’t do it all. Believe me. I try all too often and end up disappointed or feeling like I drop the ball, or have all these ideas but never have time to implement. And then I take deep breathe. I honor all that I accomplish in a day – with the love and support I give my family as the number one thing I have to remind myself to be proud of because most of my energy goes there.

Fuel your body with energizing nutrients. There is no way I could keep up with everything as consistently as I do if I did not prioritize eating whole and nutrient-dense foods, limiting caffeine and alcohol, and aiming for consistent rest at night and body movement during the day, even if I’m only doing a 5 or 10-minute workout through an app on my phone, or chasing my kids on their bikes.

Creating a life you love is a practice rooted in authenticity and synchronicity. When we are authentic and confident in who we are, we become more synchronized with the world around us and the life we desire begins to bud, blossom and unfold vibrantly before us.